Low Skilled Workers

Whilst this evaluation considers the position of low skilled workers as a particular target group, it is key to grasp the range of issues experienced by those with low skills and at different positions in relation to the labour market in order to understand the barriers that prevent this group accessing and continuing in sustained employment. The literature review has highlighted a wide variation in needs, and appropriate types of assistance, depending on whether those who are low skilled are in employment (although often occupying vulnerable jobs) or are much further from employment. For the low-skilled worker target group, the goals of employment and training support is often to raise vocational and non-vocational skill levels to increase their prospects of entering or progressing in work.

Welfare” DG Research of the European Commission, Brussels, 9 -11 November 2000. UWWCLUS Workshop Brussels, November 9th-11th 2000

35

ECOTEC (2008) Beyond the Maastricht Communiqué; Developments in the opening up of VET pathways and the

role of VET in labour market integration.

36

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training 37

Guiding at-risk youth through learning to work: lessons from across Europe, European Centre for the Development

of Vocational Training (Cedefop)

38

Eurostat 2010, Persons with tertiary education attainment http://epp.eurostat.ec.Tertiary europa.eu/portal/page/portal/education/data/database

39

Eurostat 2010, Tertiary education attainment by sex.

40

Ad Hoc Group report on the 2010 thematic review: part 1 'policies to support youth' (EMCO reports no 5). Employment Committee, DG Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium

41

The challenges of growth, employment and social cohesion, International Monetary Fund (IMF); International Labour Organization (ILO). 2010;8.

It is recognised that those within the older as well as younger worker target groups may also have a low level of skills and in this respect, there is likely to be considerable overlap in the labour market and education/training issues across the target groups. The main labour market issue for the low skilled worker target group is that this group is more vulnerable to unemployment than those employees with higher skill levels and/or qualifications. In fact, there is growing evidence to suggest that basic skills (literacy and numeracy) predict youth unemployment (between ages 16 and 24), on the basis of a cross- country comparative evaluation which controlled for educational level42. This suggests that young people with low skills are more likely than other groups to be inactive within the labour market43. Employment prospects and the ease of entry into the labour market can be increased for these individuals where competence-based training is supported44.

The difficulty for those with low-skills in accessing opportunities within the labour market is compounded further in the light of an overall decline in the availability of low skilled jobs. This reflects a flattened and declining demand for low skilled occupations as highlighted in CEDEFOP's employment and skill forecast for Europe45. Just less than 40% of the EU workforce holds positions in higher level jobs including management, professional work or related technical support, for which the demand is expected to increase by over 16 million by 2020. The share of jobs requiring tertiary-level qualifications is expected to rise from 29% in 2010 to about 35% in 2020. Conversely, the demand for low skilled workers is projected to decline: the number of jobs employing those with low qualifications in Europe is projected to fall from 20% to 15% by 2020, and those with low skills will accordingly become increasingly vulnerable to unemployment46. Of the total employment growth of 13 million projected for Europe between 2006 and 2015, it is predicted that there will be decreases of 8.5 million jobs for those with no or few formal qualifications. This trend may be disguised to some degree by increases in jobs at the highest (ISCED 5- 6) and medium (ISCED 3-4) qualification levels which, in accounting for 12.5 million jobs and 9.5 million respectively47 act to quantitatively offset the employment losses for those with no or few qualifications. Overall employment within the primary and manufacturing sectors is falling across the EU, and even where there has been a recovery in demand for goods, reduced production costs and increased competitiveness has in certain cases lessened the requirement for labour48. The recession has acted to accelerate the rate at which jobs are shifting from primary and basic manufacturing to the service sector and also into high technology manufacturing, which often require individuals to have gained formal qualifications to a higher level49. These employment sector shifts and changes to workplace organisation

42

Lundetrae, Kjersti; Gabrielsen, Egil; Mykletun, Reidar (2010). Do basic skills predict youth unemployment (16- to

24-year-olds) also when controlled for accomplished upper-secondary school? A cross-country comparison.

43

Lundetrae, Kjersti; Gabrielsen, Egil; Mykletun, Reidar (2010). Do basic skills predict youth unemployment (16- to

24-year-olds) also when controlled for accomplished upper-secondary school? A cross-country comparison.

44

ECOTEC (2008) Beyond the Maastricht Communiqué: Developments in the opening up of VET pathways and the

role of VET in labour market integration.

45

Future Skill Needs in Europe. Cedefop. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2008. http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/etv/upload/information_resources/bookshop/485/4078_en.pdf

46

CEDEFOP, 2010. Briefing Note: Jobs in Europe to become more knowledge- and skills-intensive http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/9021_en.pdf

47

Ibid, p.59

48

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/9059_en.pdf. Briefing Note; What next for skills on the European labour market?

49

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/9059_en.pdf. Briefing Note; What next for skills on the European labour market?

mean an increase in demand for highly and medium-skilled workers50. This study recognises that high- level jobs will not always require employees with high-level qualifications - a medium level job for instance may require high levels of qualifications.

In this context, there is a need to employ anticipation measures around future labour market needs within education and training delivery. This allows learners to update their skill sets to reflect up-to-date employment opportunities. As such the formal education system is not to be seen as distinct from the world of work, but rather it should incorporate a feedback mechanism to ensure that the skills and competences acquired within the education and training system are fit for purpose. Furthermore, it has been shown that 'to reach low-skilled adults it is essential to transform their life and work environments into places of learning; embedding learning of basic skills at the workplace is a successful approach to reaching and engaging low-skilled workers'.51 ESF funded LLL activity has the potential to help make the education and training process increasingly responsive to current circumstances and trends within the labour market. In this way ESF can contribute to rising educational attainment, thereby equipping learners for employment through increased educational and training attainment.

For the economically active low skilled, their engagement with the labour market may be discontinuous and sporadic52, with structural long-term unemployment53 often an issue. This group is particularly vulnerable within times of economic uncertainty and encounters difficulties in securing employment with good levels of pay and working conditions. LLL can help the active low skilled establish a stronger basis for long-term and secure participation in the labour market. Studies have shown that the recognition of prior learning, the accrediting/certificating of non-and informal learning and the provision of guidance and counselling play valuable roles here54.